Correspondence.



161



told me that a wild Redpoll was always about the aviarjE I watched and

soon saw the bird flying round, feeding on the spray millet through the

meshes of the wire netting and trying hard to get through into the aviary,

having evidently fallen desparately in love with the little captive hen. I set

a trap-cage on the top of the aviary, caught him without any trouble, and

turned him in.


The two birds at once set to work and built a lovely little nest in a

shrub and reared a fine brood of young ones. Rater on I found these Red¬

polls very inquisitive and mischievous with other birds’ nests and gave them

all their liberty. I also reared, about the same time, a fine hybrid between

a cock Siskin and hen Greenfinch. Beatrice Carpenter.


Although Mr. Swailes speaks of this bird (Avicultural Magazine, ist

series, vol. III., p. 69) as one of the readiest species to breed in confinement,

it is probably not generally known (and certainly not to those who denounce

the cruelty of keeping birds in captivity) how constantly, not Redpolls

only, but other wild birds, will struggle to force their way through the wire

netting of outdoor aviaries in order to join captive birds. I have seen

the Redpoll trying to get into Mr. Seth-Smitli’s aviaries, and variours Tits,

the Willow Warbler, Robin, Blackbird, Song-Thrush, and Starlings have

all tried to discover some way of getting into my larger garden aviary.


Not only do wild birds envy those in fairly large aviaries; but those

in captivity frequently make no attempt to escape when they have the

chance. A wild-caught Blackbird in one of my cages has, on two occasions,

had his cage-door (a sliding one) left wide open by my man, after giving

water in the evening, and the discovery was only made when I gave

the bird fresh food in the morning: the bird was only caught in the

winter of 1S96-7, when it voluntarily entered my smaller garden aviary. The

door of my Sliama’s cage has also been left wide open on two occasions and

the bird has not taken any notice.


The mischievous meddlesomeness of the Redpoll was noted by me in

“ British Birds with their Nests and Eggs,” vol. II., p. 75; but it cannot too

often be impressed upon those who are desirous of breeding birds of

greater interest and who, unless cautioned, might associate this little nest-

destroyer with them.


I do not remember to have seen a hybrid between cock Siskin and

hen Greenfinch; it should be rather a pretty bird. A. G. BuTeer.



PIED HEN BLACKBIRD.


A very remarkable hen Blackbird has been about my garden this

winter: the crown of its head and two irregular collars encircling its neck

being snow-white. Pied varieties of cock Blackbirds are commonly seen,

but this is the first pied hen that I have noticed. A. G. B.



